Romantic Egoist
by maple the wacky tree
Summary: Slight AU. Haruhi's coming to grips with how she feels about Tamaki, but after a love potion gone wrong, she finds herself stuck with a lovesick Hikaru for a month. Can you turn down someone when it's your own fault? Triangles were never so complicated.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

Haruhi was a reasonable person.

She liked to think she was one of the most reasonable people in the Host Club. Perhaps even in the entire school of ridiculously rich people.

She thought _rationally_.

But there seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to why she was standing outside this particular door, constantly checking over her shoulder to make sure she had not be followed, or that no one recognized her . . . even though in all honesty there was probably no way anyone else would be in the school's basement at this hour. Holding her breath, Haruhi winced and finally knocked on the door. "A-ano . . ." she whispered, barely daring to knock any louder.

But someone must have heard her tiny voice, for the doors cracked open and something grabbed Haruhi, dragging her into the dark room. She squeaked, and a match was lit right in front of her eyes. Candles emerged, and she could finally see enough in the darkness to see Nekozawa's looming figure.

"Ho ho ho, it's strange to see you outside the host club Fujioka," he laughed creepily. "Don't tell me . . . do you require my services? Do you wish to buy your first voodoo doll kit or tarot card pack?"

Haruhi was not moved. "I'm not here to see you, Senpai," she deadpanned, and Nekozawa nearly fell back in shock and disappointment.

He coughed twice and then, in a much more normal tone, asked, "Then why are you here, Haruhi?"

"I'm . . . !" Haruhi trailed off, stared down at her feet, and then stately meekly, "I'm . . . I'm here to see Reiko-san."

"Reiko-san?" Nekozawa echoed, confused.

And then Haruhi was sweeped away to an adjoining room, styled in a dark, somber Victorian decorations. Reiko shut the door and calmly sat in a chair across from Haruhi.

"What is it you wished to speak to me about?" she asked.

Haruhi fidgeted for a moment, sorting out her thoughts, before asking, "Well, that is . . . Reiko-san?"

Reiko simply cocked her head.

"Remember when you had a crush on Hunny-sempai?"

"You wish for me to put a curse on someone?" she asked, blinking.

"Ah, n-n-no!" Haruhi stammered, waving her hands wildly. "Not a curse, but . . . um, a spell. To uh . . . steal someone's soul?"

"I see," Reiko replied, nodding in understanding. "Who might I ask is the lucky recipient of the curse?"

Haruhi grimaced, wishing she wouldn't refer to it as a curse. It made it sound like Haruhi was doing something wrong, something guilty . . . although that might not be too far off the mark. "Well . . ."

"You have to tell me the name. Most curses require a person's full name in order to work."

Haruhi blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. She couldn't look Reiko in the eyes. "It's Tamaki . . . sempai."

"Tamaki-sempai? You mean the blond idiot?"

Haruhi just continued to rub the back of her neck vigorously, feeling mortified.

"Mmmm." Reiko thought hard. Distractedly, she got up and started rummaging through some drawers. "That _is_ a bit of a challenge. Even if he _were_ to like you, he'd probably be too much of an idiot to realize those feelings as real."

"A-ahh," Haruhi sighed, slumping over.

"This might take something a little more elaborate. Oh!" she gasped, remembering something. "Oh dear, I promised Hunny-sempai I wouldn't do any really serious curses that permanently change the recipient's feelings. Said something about how it wasn't humane."

"It's not humane!" Haruhi exclaimed in a fright. She jumped to her feet, her hands shaking. "Look. This was a mistake. I'm changing my mind. It's not right to put a spell on Sempai—"

But at that moment, Reiko found what she had been looking for and displayed an ornate, glass container with a fizzing, pink liquid inside. When she shook it a little and opened the stopper, sparks came out. "Yep, still good."

"What's that?" Haruhi asked, despite herself.

Reiko smirked dangerously and pressed the vial in Haruhi's palm. "Only the most classic of Black Magic practices." She folded Haruhi's fingers around the prize, still smiling widely.

"Eh? Classic? Then . . . you don't mean?"

"A love potion, designed to make the drinker fall hopelessly infatuated with the first person they see," Reiko clarified, and abruptly her face went blank again. "But the effects are only temporary. I have to keep my promise to Hunny-sempai, after all."

"Really?" Curiously, Haruhi rolled the bottle in her hands, watching it fizz and sparkle. "How long does it last?"

"That depends on how much you get the person to drink it." Reiko thought about it for a while. "Even just a few drops would be potent enough to last around a week or so. But if you get them to drink the whole thing, the effects wouldn't wear off for about a month. Although, I have to advise you, it doesn't taste the greatest. If you want to make the person drink enough, you might want to mix the potion in a strong beverage of some sort. Maybe . . . coffee?"

Haruhi stared at the potion longer, almost in a trance. But then she shook her head to snap herself out of it and handed it back over to Reiko. "No thanks. It's only temporary after all. Why waste my time on a cheap trick?"

"Oh, but it's not a waste at all," Reiko insisted. "After a month, he won't be infatuated with you anymore. That's why you use that month, when he's not going to want to let you out of his sight, to get closer to him and make him realize that he actually likes you for real. It's just a tactic to get through that thick head of his."

_Just a tactic_, Haruhi thought to herself. _Just a rational alternative. After all, there's no way he would fall in love with you normally. _

"How much for the bottle?" Haruhi began to ask, but Reiko held up her hand.

"No, not between us. We both are suffering the loss of our soul. I would feel wrong if I asked you to pay me. Take it, and make sure not to screw it up," Reiko warned.

For the first time, Haruhi actually smiled and sighed out in relief. "Thank you, Reiko-san," she said with a quick bow.

Reiko also bowed. "It is my pleasure. As a friend of Hunny-sempai, feel free to always stop by to inquire of my services. Although . . ." Though her face remained blank, Reiko blushed a little and covered her mouth with her hand, looking away. "This will be the first time I've ever seen real yaoi in action. For some reason, my heart is beating rapidly in my chest."

"O-oh," Haruhi said sheepishly. Despite the embarrassment, the girl in disguise figured it was better than Reiko finding out her true gender.

Thanking Reiko once again, Haruhi quickly hurried out of the Black Magic Club. Once she was back in the basement, she breathed in slowly to calm her heart. She peeked at the secret bottle cradled in her hands before tucking it away in her front pocket.

It was mission time.

* * *

><p>The potion seemed to burn a hole through her chest all during club activities that afternoon. She had decided to wait to give Tamaki the potion after hosting. She didn't know how effective it was, and it would be easier to convince people it was just Tamaki being his dramatic self if only the host club saw his sudden attachment to Haruhi.<p>

But it was _hard_ to wait. Unable to help it, Haruhi occasionally twitched and acted jumpy around the customers. She constantly found herself putting a hand over her pocket, checking to make sure the potion was safe, before she even realized what she was doing. Her odd behavior was not lost on Kyouya . . . or the twins for that matter.

"Ha . . . ru . . . _hiiii!_" Hikaru cooed into her left ear. "Why are you acting so strange? Do you have a _secret_?"

Kaoru was immediately at her left ear, whispering behind his hand, but loud enough for the girls to hear, "We wanna know the secret too. We're your best friends after all. Didn't we promise not to hide secrets from each other on _that night_?"

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" Haruhi exclaimed angrily, shoving their faces away, but the damage had already been done.

"KYAAAA! 'THAT NIGHT'? WHAT DOES 'THAT NIGHT' MEAN?" one of the customers squealed.

"UWAHHH! IT'S SO ADORABLE THAT YOU THREE ARE SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER! MOE!" exclaimed another.

A few brotherly love clients overhead the commotion, and they joined the table so that they could tell Haruhi's customers, "We may have to join forces, if you know what I mean."

"HikaxHaruxKao fanfiction? On it!" another declared.

Struggling to control her temper, Haruhi stood up and faced the wildly snickering twins. "If you don't mind, would you two leave me alone? You're disturbing my clients."

"Disturbing?" Hikaru snorted.

"It looks to me like they're having a grand old time," Kaoru commented, glancing over at the bustling table of girls, who were already making plans for their shipping fansite.

"Besides—" Haruhi squeaked as Hikaru suddenly pulled her closer and put his arm around her shoulders. He grinned down at her. "We were thinking that we should spice things up and include you in the act every now and then."

"Who doesn't like a romantically forbidden threesome?" Kaoru agreed with a nod. He put a hand on the side of Haruhi's face, gently lifting her face towards his.

"That's stupid," Haruhi deadpanned, but the fangirls were squealing behind her. Renge had come over by now, demanding if someone had a camera, because the pose of the three of them was just "perfect" for the magazine cover. Haruhi even spotted Kyouya in the corner, taking down notes with interest. The girl sighed. This was obviously a battle she would not win.

By the time the last of the customers had left, Haruhi was exhausted. But she diligently snuck off to the kitchen before anyone could notice her. Almost mechanically, Haruhi made a quick cup of commoner's coffee and pulled out the vial from her pocket, but she hesitated. Suddenly, she felt very ashamed of herself. Was she really going to let herself go to this extreme? Was she really going to act so ridiculously over something a stupid magazine quiz told her?

Was she really that in love with Tamaki to manipulate his emotions?

Holding her heavy chest, Haruhi peeked around the corner of the kitchen door. Tamaki was stretched out tiredly on the couch, talking to Kyouya. He started laughing at something his friend said, and the laughter was so full and pleasant that Haruhi's heart melted against her will. The good feeling didn't last long though before Haruhi blushed vividly in horror and her heart raced out of control. "Arghh! Why do I have to like an idiot like that?" she whispered under her breath.

The cup of coffee was still sitting there.

Waiting.

Haruhi bit her lip hard, but she was already giving in. "If I don't make my move now, the coffee will get cold," she told herself softly. She reached for the potion and removed the stopper. "And if I give up now, I'll never have the courage to do it again." Half-shutting her eyes, she dumped the entirety of the bottle's contents into the coffee. She stirred in some extra sugar, hoping the taste wasn't really that bad. Then, wearing her toughest game face, she armed herself with the coffee mug and marched out of the kitchen.

But she hesitated again when she saw Tamaki's smile. He looked so handsome, sitting so far away on the other side of the room. The way her heart swelled was almost too much to bear. Would she really be able to make it all the way to Tamaki? Should she just call him over instead?

"Oi, Haruhi," she heard Hikaru call.

Haruhi's whole body seized up in horror. Not another distraction! She would never be able to make it at this point.

"Not now, Hikaru!" she snapped, forcing herself to keep her eye on the prize, her eye on her smiling Senpai, even when she heard Hikaru walk right up to her.

"But I'm _thirsty_," he complained. "You wouldn't happen to have—oh, hey!"

The mug disappeared from Haruhi's hands. She stared at her hands in disbelief before crying out in despair.

"I didn't know we still had some commoner's coffee leftover," Hikaru mused.

"No, Hikaru!" Haruhi gasped, trying to snatch it away, hit it out of his grasp, anything to get it away from him. "Don't drink that! You can't!"

Hikaru smiled at her, holding the mug above her reach. "Aww, come on, Haruhi. Don't be stingy."

"Hikaru!" she pleaded, practically trying to climb up him now to reach for the mug. He wouldn't. He couldn't! Tamaki and Kyouya stopped talking to stare at the commotion.

"I'll make you another batch. Just chill out!" Hikaru said, and with that he downed half of the coffee in a single swallow. He blinked and swirled around the drink for a moment, remarking, "Although, you have a funny taste in coffee. What'd you put in this, Haruhi?"

Haruhi watched him finish the rest of the coffee in dismay. He wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand and handed Haruhi back the mug with a wink. "Thanks for the coffee, Haruhi."

And then . . . it happened.

You could tell the minute when the spell took effect. Hikaru suddenly froze, looking at Haruhi as if for the first time. Hikaru leaned down to study Haruhi's face a little closer.

"Haruhi . . . I love you!" Hikaru suddenly gushed out, as if he was also shocked at his newfound feelings.

"WHAT?" Haruhi exclaimed.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT!" Tamaki bellowed, zooming over to Hikaru and Haruhi in zero point two seconds. His eyes flashed dangerously as he towered over the twin and demanded like the overprotective father he was, "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

Hikaru, tugging on Haruhi's sleeve to bring her a little closer to him, stated evenly, "I love Haruhi, Tono. Haruhi . . ." Hikaru met her eyes, completely serious. "Will you go out with me?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** For the avid Ouran manga readers out there, you probably sort of recognize this scenerio as similar to the first story in Hatori's "Love Egoist" series. That's because it is. (laughs) Well, it's inspired by it anyway. I personally loved Romantic Egoist that I wish Hatori would actually make a series out of it. It's a brilliant story idea. But that won't happen, so naturally I have to do it myself. But I thought it would be more fun if I did it Ouran-style, and I've been wanting to write a Hika-Haru multi fic for a while now, so TADA!

For those curious, this takes place a little bit after Mei gave Haruhi the magazine which made Haruhi realize her feelings for Tamaki (in the manga plot, not the anime). That's why Haruhi's still a little jumpy. It's taking her a while to get used to her new emotions. ^^; And do I really think Haruhi would stoop so low as to drug Tamaki with a love potion? Not really no, but THE PLOT BUNNIES DEMAND SO!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Ouran Host Club OR Love Egoist. I know. What a sad, sad life I live.

**Disclaimer 2:** I'm sort of hyper. Is it noticeable? :P


	2. Chapter 2

Haruhi slumped outside of the Black Magic Club, her face in her hands. Her head was still ringing with Reiko's scolding. She had complained that Haruhi was "hopeless" and that she had wasted a "very expensive, hard to make potion" through her "thoughtless actions." And when Haruhi had meekly asked for an antidote to the love potion, Reiko simply shook her head and said it didn't work that way. No one had ever made an antidote because the effects wore off anyway. Then Haruhi confided in the girl that Hikaru had drunken the entire bottle, and Reiko basically told her that Haruhi was, quote on quote, "doomed."

Haruhi dropped her hands and sighed. Her stomach squirmed when she began to recall the last thing Reiko had said.

"_Well, perhaps it's not a total loss,_" _the girl mused._

"_Really? Is there something I can do after all?" Haruhi asked._

"_Of course. Enjoy it while it lasts."_

_Haruhi gaped at Reiko. "E-e-enjoy it? This is one of my best friends we're talking about. I don't want to play with his heart!" _

_Reiko waved her hand. "It'll wear off eventually. You know that. But until then, perhaps instead of fighting your strange twist of fate, you should fully embrace it. Who knows? If you play your cards right, you could even _use_ it to your advantage. Maybe you could make Tamaki jealous."_

"_That's wrong," Haruhi insisted. "I will never use Hikaru like that."_

"_But it's not wrong to slip love potions in people's drinks?" Reiko asked slyly. _

Haruhi dug her fingers into her stomach and willed herself not to feel so queasy as she peeled herself off the wall and began walking. But then again, what was she supposed to do? It was easy enough to do in class when there were teachers around, but she couldn't avoid Hikaru in the host club. He might even make _more_ passes at her, with the forbidden love acts as an excuse. No, she couldn't hide forever . . .

. . . but she could hide until she thought of a better alternative.

"HARUHIIIII!"

Well, that plan hadn't gone over too well.

"Haruhi! There you are! Hey, Haruhi, you're going to be late to club activities. You know Kyouya's only going to get mad at you and increase your debt."

Blushing furiously, Haruhi continued to walk, hoping that maybe if she continued to ignore him, he would be too frightened of Kyouya's wrath to risk being late. No chance. Hikaru only jogged a little faster and stood right in front of her, and Haruhi crashed into him face-first.

"Ow! Hikaru!" Haruhi complained, rubbing her nose.

Hikaru just blinked at her. "You're going the wrong way, you know." Grinning, he manually pivoted her around 180 degrees and pushed her along. "Come on. Let's go already! What, do you want a piggy back ride or something?"

"No!" Exhaling, Haruhi turned around again and grabbed Hikaru's hands. In a softer voice, she said, "Hikaru . . . I'm not going to the host club today."

"Huh? Why not?"

"I'm not feeling good," Haruhi lied, and the concern on his face hurt her a little. She didn't like lying to begin with, but she almost never lied to the twins.

Instead of leaving her alone as she expected, however, Hikaru took this as an excuse to cup Haruhi's face in both hands and examine her. "I thought you looked a little flushed," Hikaru admitted, smiling slightly. "Want me to take you to my doctor?"

"Ah, no . . .that's quite alright. I think I just need to sleep it off. I'm going to go home." Haruhi tried to leave again, but Hikaru was already walking in stride with her.

"I'll walk you home," he offered.

"Noooo, Hikaru," Haruhi said, trying to shove him away. "I can't make you do that. Besides, how will _you_ get home? Your driver always picks you and Kaoru up here, doesn't he?"

Just when she had him at an arm's distance, Hikaru slipped past her and caught her in a one arm hug, squeezing her shoulders. "I have to take care of my girl, don't I?" he laughed.

The queasy feeling was back. Haruhi wondered if the guilt would ever go away. Bowing her head, she mumbled, "You don't have to do that for someone like—"

But Hikaru had already whipped out his phone and was calling Kaoru. "Yeah. Sorry, but I'm not going to be there," he told his brother. "Haruhi's sick, so I'm going to walk home with her and make sure she's okay. What?" Haruhi heard Kaoru tittering on the other end. Hikaru looked at Haruhi. "Her? Well . . . she says she doesn't feel that bad. I think she's just trying to prevent it from getting worse. Running away, you know?"

Haruhi's ears perked up at his choice of words. That was sort of an odd way of putting it.

"So just tell Tono and . . . oh, he already knows?" Hikaru replied in surprise, and then suddenly Tamaki's yells burst through the phone. Hikaru winced and held the phone out a foot from his ear. "I already told Kaoru, Tono. Haruhi's fine," he said, making a face to Haruhi. Haruhi couldn't help but feel a mix of exasperation and mild happiness that he was concerned about her.

"What? No! Why would I lie to you about this?" Hikaru's brow furrowed in annoyance, but then a devilish smirk parted his lips. "Actually, you're right, Tono. Truth is, Haruhi's passed out and we're in an ambulance right now. I just didn't want to worry you. They think it's cancer, the terminal kind, and—oh." Hikaru looked at his phone in surprise and pocketed it.

"Did he hang up?" Haruhi asked, but then Hikaru snatched up her hand and pulled her along at a sprint.

"No good! He's coming to look for you!" Hikaru exclaimed, looking exhilarated.

"Hikaru! What are we doing?"

"Running!" he declared, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He led her down a staircase, heading for the back entrance of school. "We can't let him find us or he'll kill us!"

"It's _you _he's going to kill!" Haruhi shot back, and for some reason Hikaru started laughing.

"It's a game! Game, Haruhi! Play along!"

And when they burst outside and jumped over a flowerbed because sidewalks were "for losers," Haruhi couldn't help but laugh too. Laughing at themselves. Laughing at the enraged, overprotective Tamaki they were escaping. Laughing at the people who were staring at them, and there certainly were plenty to laugh at.

The fun was sort of lost five minutes later, when Haruhi was bent over double, wheezing.

She was never the athletic type.

"AHHH! Haruhi, I'm so sorry!" Hikaru exclaimed, flailing his arms around. "I shouldn't have made you run when you weren't feeling well. Are you okay?"

"Idiot," she gasped out.

"What? I didn't catch that." Hikaru said, squatting down next to her. "What'd you say?"

She managed to catch a little bit of her breath, and she flashed a small smile at Hikaru. "I'm glad you're still an idiot, Hikaru."

His face was blank with confusion for a moment, but then he grinned hard. "What's that supposed to mean, huh?" He started to reach for her, but that made him realize that he was still holding her hand. Now it was his turn to turn bright red, and he quickly dropped her hand, holding his behind his back and looking embarrassed.

Haruhi rolled her eyes and finally pushed herself up. "You're still sorta shy too."

"Shy? When have I ever been shy?"

"Oh, alright. Not shy. It's more like you're awkward around people when Kaoru isn't there. Like you don't know what to do with yourself, or how to act."

"Am not!" Hikaru retorted.

Haruhi waved him off and walked in the direction of her home. "Let's just go. I really need to get back."

Hikaru followed Haruhi along silently for a moment before remarking, "You know, Haruhi. You keep saying these things like you think I've changed for some reason. Why?"

He looked genuinely curious and puzzled. Haruhi's heart clenched painfully, and she avoided his eyes. "No reason."

"Don't say that," he whined. "There's obviously a reason."

"Nope."

Hikaru sulked, muttering under his breath. It was annoying, so Haruhi caved.

"I . . . I just thought you were going to start acting different after you told me . . . told me . . . uh,"

"That I love you," Hikaru cheerfully chimed in, and Haruhi shuddered at how easily he could say such words. He glanced at her sideways. "I really do you know. It's not one of those little games Kaoru and I always play."

"Uh . . . um, yeah."

"Speaking of which," Hikaru said. He slipped in front of Haruhi and then started walking backwards, so he could watch her expressions. "When are you going to give me your answer?"

_Mother in heaven, I have to give him an answer TOO? _Haruhi thought in despair. But then again, she knew this would come eventually. _I have to confront him at some point_. She opened his mouth, but then Hikaru seemed to squirm and shrink nervously.

"Haha, don't you know, Haruhi? It's just yes or no. What's taking you so long? Jeez," he joked, but Haruhi knew his voice was shaking a little bit. She bit her lip, wanting to vanish from this moment.

"Hikaru, please don't ask me that question," she finally sighed.

"So . . . what? Is that like a no?" Hikaru asked, still trying to laugh it off but failing miserably. Haruhi hated that she was causing him pain, especially since it was unneeded pain. Pain that shouldn't have existed if it hadn't been for her.

"It's not a no, Hikaru," Haruhi said hesitantly.

"A maybe?" Hikaru asked, and Haruhi was about to tell him he was wrong, but the hope in his face was just a little too pathetic. So she fished up a smile, just for him.

"A maybe," she agreed.

Hikaru smiled much more naturally. "Then is it okay? If I act like this around you?"

_No,_ Haruhi immediately thought.

"I . . . just thought I should be honest when I'm with you," he continued.

_Aw, hell,_ Haruhi thought with a weary sigh.

"Maybe if you tone it down at school, that would be fine," Haruhi said.

Now his smile looked wide enough to split his face. Hikaru turned back around, but Haruhi could tell just from his posture that he was feeling victorious and triumphant. It was sort of adorable, and Haruhi couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yep, still an idiot," she said under her breath fondly, but then she thought of another particular idiot, and the thought sobered her up.

* * *

><p>Haruhi looked up in relief when she finally found her apartment complex. The first part of their walk hadn't been so bad. Sometimes they talked, and sometimes they didn't. Hikaru walked so close to Haruhi that their arms frequently brushed or bumped. At first Haruhi wanted to flinch away, but then she took a deep breath and reminded herself that the twins had never really been into the concept of personal space anyway. That was no different.<p>

But a little over halfway, Hikaru began to get tired. He started to complain about his feet and about how far Haruhi lived. He made jabs at how hard it must be for commoners to walk everywhere, because they couldn't afford cars. Haruhi grew very irritated, but she reminded herself that this too was no different from normal. Needless to say, if she had lied about not feeling well before, she certainly had a headache now as she climbed up the stairs to her apartment.

Haruhi unlocked the door and said over her shoulder, "Alright, Hikaru, I guess I'll see you tomor—"

"I'm coming in!" Hikaru declared as he pushed past Haruhi and walked inside.

"HIKARU!"

"What?" Hikaru turned to look at her, already taking his shoes off. "I walked all this way. The least you could do is make me some tea."

_Inconsiderate, rich bastard!_ Haruhi thought to herself, rubbing her throbbing temples. "Hikaru, I don't think that's a good idea."

But he was already sitting at the small table, tapping his fingers on the wood. "Hey, Haruhi! Why are you still standing in the doorway?" he called.

Haruhi scowled but decided to give up. "Alright, you can stay until your ride comes to pick you up, but no longer than that."

"Yay!"

Haruhi set the tea pot on the table and placed two cups. She poured Hikaru some tea and asked, "Do you want me to get some snacks too?"

"Mmm, do you have strawberries?"

"Uh . . . actually yes. I think we still have some strawberries from the last time I went to the grocery store." She wandered over to the fridge and got some out, washing them and placing them in a bowl for her and Hikaru to share. "But that's sort of funny. I didn't know you liked strawberries."

"I don't think they're _that_ great, but you like them."

Haruhi paused and looked around the fridge. Hikaru was smiling peaceably at her. It was a bit of a strange sight. _Hikaru? Thoughtful? That's not something you see every day,_ Haruhi mused to herself as she brought over the bowl and placed it in the center of the table. _That love potion really is amazing_. Without thinking, she sat opposite from Hikaru. While pouring her own cup of tea, Haruhi noticed Hikaru was staring at her with a frown. She paused, feeling self-conscious.

"What?" she asked, setting the tea pot down.

Hikaru stood up suddenly, but he only walked around the table so he could sit on the same side as Haruhi.

"What are you doing? There's no room, Hikaru!" she complained.

"There's plenty of room!"

"Hikaru, it doesn't make since for us to squeeze on one end of the table with there's so much free space on the other end."

"But I like this spot!" Hikaru whined childishly.

Haruhi rolled her eyes in aggravation and started to get up. "Fine. Then _I'll_ just move."

"Wait—!"

Hikaru grabbed her elbow and pulled her down a little too fast. Haruhi, caught off guard, fell back down on her bottom ungracefully. She began to start yelling at him, but when she turned to face him, she realized they were a little too close. Their noses were almost touching, and in her peripheral, Haruhi could see Hikaru swallow nervously.

The sound of aggressive knocking made the two teens freeze. Without pulling away, Haruhi asked in a whisper, not knowing _why_ she was whispering, "Is that your driver, Hikaru?"

Hikaru shook his head a little and surprisingly whispered back. "No, I haven't even called him yet. Is it your father?"

"No," Haruhi whispered.

They locked eyes a little longer, and Hikaru lifted his hand, but the aggressive knocking started up again, this time on the window.

"HARUHI! MY BELOVED DAUGHTER! I SEE YOU IN THERE! YOUR DADDY IS HERE TO SAVE YOU FROM THE CLUTCHES OF DEATH!"

Hikaru quickly dropped his head, and together they sighed in unison, "Tamaki."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Wow . . . I meant to post this a lot sooner than I did. Oops? One word, college. I think that pretty much sums it all up. Yes?


	3. Chapter 3

Being in the Host Club had its awkward or uncomfortable moments. Haruhi had even considered at one point making a least of the top ten moments, so that she would be able to laugh about it later when she was far away from Ouran High.

This was one of those moments.

She wasn't laughing.

The silence was unbearable and smothered the table. Haruhi kept looking from Tamaki, to Hikaru, to Tamaki. Tamaki, frozen on the other side of the table, looking very much like a robot who had lost his batteries in the middle of action. Hikaru, still sitting right next to Haruhi despite the lack of room, had an arm around her and was snuggling up next to her, trying to provoke Tamaki as best as he can.

Haruhi just tried her best to ignore Hikaru.

"So . . . what brings you here, Sempai?" Haruhi asked. Mechanically, Tamaki inclined his face to look at her.

"You did not come to club activities," he said in robotic cadence.

"Well, yeah. Kaoru already told you that I wouldn't go, didn't he?"

Tamaki didn't even blink. "You are devastatingly ill."

"No one ever said that," Haruhi sighed.

"Yeah, Baka Tono. I was obviously lying. Take a joke," Hikaru said, his crooked smile full of mischief. He started rubbing his cheek against Haruhi's. "We were just getting cozy when you barged in."

Tamaki jerkily lowered his head so that his face was hidden.

"Did he short-circuit?" Haruhi asked Hikaru, pinching his cheek hard and pushing him away from her again.

"Ow, ow, ow! Jeez, Haruhi!" He rubbed his cheek resentfully. "No, it looks more like he's about to . . . self-destruct? Look, he's turning red."

"What? Hikaru, that's—"

"DOES SHE NOT LOOK SICK TO YOU?" Tamaki cried, dramatically flipping the table over. Hikaru and Haruhi just sat there with their mouths open, blinking in shock. Tamaki marched over to Hikaru and pulled him up by the collar. "YOU FIEND! YOU PERVERT! TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HARUHI WHEN SHE'S UNWELL!" Tamaki jabbed his finger in Haruhi's direction. "JUST LOOK AT HER TROUBLED FACE!"

"And who's the one causing the trouble, Sempai?" Haruhi interjected.

"HOW DARE YOU DISTURB HER AT HER OWN HOME WHEN SHE NEEDS REST!"

"Well, Sempai, you're sort of doing the same thing," she stated, but for once her blunt tongue was lost in Tamaki's excessive whirl of drama. By this point, he was starting to spin Hikaru around, as if in some final battle move.

"RAGING HORMONES ARE NOT AN EXCUSE! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH HARUHI ANYMORE! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"

"Tamaki-sempai!" Haruhi cried, finally rising to her feet. "Put Hikaru down before you hurt him. Or break something!" she added, eyeing any valuables that she might have to shield with her body.

At her command, Tamaki surprisingly let Hikaru go. Hikaru collapsed to the ground, coughing. "Tono, why the heck did you have to go so far?" he said, massaging his throat.

"Because to me she is—" but the murder faded from Tamaki's eyes. He seemed to be choking on the words. "She is—"

Like a flash, Haruhi recalled Reiko's words. "_If you play your cards right, you could even _use_ it to your advantage. Maybe you could make Tamaki jealous."_

"Tama—!" Haruhi began, but was cut off when Tamaki suddenly dropped to his knees and proceeded to throw a tantrum on the floor like a baby.

"Haruhi is my most precious daughter! I won't let just any man near her! Perverts will only break her heart! Daddy won't allow it! Daddy won't allow it!"

Haruhi deflated in disappointment and annoyance. Slapping her face, she said, "Tamaki-sempai, maybe it would be best if you two—"

"What if she was the one who wanted it?" Hikaru challenged. He turned to her for support. "Tell him, Haruhi. Tell him that you were the one who invited me in. That you want me here."

Haruhi's eyes widened. No sound came out from her mouth. She looked for Tamaki for some sort of answer, but his expression seemed just as anxious as Hikaru. Flushing, Haruhi thought of Reiko's words, thought of the best way to proceed. Here was her chance to make Tamaki jealous. But she held back, resisting.

"Hikaru," she said quietly. "I only let you come over because you were complaining so much. There was nothing special about it."

Hikaru gaped at her, but then he glared at his fists, seemingly trying to hide his embarrassment and sense of rejection. Tamaki, on the other hand, started making faces at Hikaru, bragging about his victory and about how the bonds between father and daughter could never be broken. Haruhi sighed. They were such children.

"Guys. I think it's time you went—"

"Then I'll just win her over!" Hikaru suddenly exclaimed. "I'll win her over, Tono. I will. Just watch me. And when I do, you have to acknowledge us."

Haruhi's heart clenched at his seriousness. "Hikaru . . ."

"NEVER! It will never happen! I'll stop you before you do!" Tamaki cried out, laughing maniacally.

There was a knock at the door. The three of them froze until Haruhi exclaimed, "NOT ANOTHER ONE!"

But it was only Kaoru, ready to pick up Hikaru. He eyed the upended table with confusion and asked, "What happened here? Isn't Haruhi supposed to be sick?"

"Kaoru!" Haruhi exclaimed in relief. "Finally someone half normal! Quick! Take these two away from me so I can finally rest."

"Hikaru. Come on, man. Don't bother Haruhi anymore," Kaoru said to his brother, smiling softly.

"I'm not leaving a second before _that person_ does," Hikaru grumbled.

Kaoru laughed at him. "Are you really going to act that way? You don't look very cool."

"Well, _I'm _not leaving a minute before _this person_ does," Tamaki pouted back, folding his arms in finality.

"Tono, not you too," Kaoru said.

"You two are BOTH leaving. RIGHT now!" Haruhi commanded, shoving Tamaki and Hikaru toward the door. They staggered forward, but they got stuck in the doorway. They proceeded to elbow each other and glare daggers, neither one of them willing to leave first. Kaoru rolled his eyes at Haruhi and pushed on Hikaru's back. Hikaru popped out of the door like a cork and scowled at his brother.

"Kaoru! You're such a traitor!" he said.

But Kaoru only laughed and took it in stride, putting his arm around his twin's shoulders so Hikaru would not get any funny ideas about going back.

Tamaki still hadn't moved. He watched the twins get in their limo and drive off. Haruhi noticed that his expression had turned strangely somber.

"Tamaki-sempai?" Haruhi said tentatively. She drew a little closer to him, almost, but not quite, reaching out for his hand. But his hand jerked away, leaving Haruhi feeling a little embarrassed.

"I should be going now," Tamaki said, avoiding her eyes. "Get some rest, Haruhi."

"Does it bother you that much?" Haruhi asked. "About Hikaru and—" She stopped, catching herself. She almost made it sound like they really were a couple. "I-I-I mean," she stammered.

Tamaki put a hand on her head, patting her, as he leaned down to her level. "You just focus on getting better, okay Haruhi?" he said gently. He gave her a smile, one that didn't quite reach his troubled eyes. "You look a little feverish, actually. Are you sure you'll be alright?"

_Not a fever_, Haruhi thought, cursing her blushing cheeks. "I'll be fine, Sempai."

"Alright." His hand slipped off of her. "Sleep, and then hopefully we'll see you back in school tomorrow."

"Okay." She waved as she left, and when she could no longer see him, she said under her breath, "Bye . . . Tamaki."

* * *

><p>Neither one spoke in the back seat. Kaoru sighed, knowing he should expect this. Hikaru was giving him the cold shoulder, childishly ignoring him. He was upset. Kaoru didn't understand.<p>

"What's wrong with you?" Kaoru eventually asked. "You've been acting strange all of a sudden. And you haven't told me about any of it."

"I haven't changed," Hikaru mumbled, staring out the window.

"You've changed a lot. What? 'Tono, I love Haruhi'," Kaoru mimicked in the dramatically serious voice. "Are you trying to get him to skin you alive? Do you think you're being funny, playing with Haruhi like that?"

"I'm not playing with her," Hikaru said, heaving a sigh. "You've already known it, Kaoru. I like her. No, more than just like. And . . ." He finally met his brother's eyes. His expression was strange. Twisted and mischievous, but also a little weary. Nervous. Unsure. "Just like you said, I'm finally trying to do something about it." Hikaru glared out the window. "I don't want Tono to snatch her away. Not without a fight."

Kaoru cocked one eyebrow. "Well, I guess being disgustingly blunt with your feelings makes it easier for Haruhi to understand. She's not going to accidentally turn you down without realizing that you confessed. But still—"

"She told me maybe, Kaoru. She told me . . . and that means she's thinking about it. So I just have to play my cards right. Convince her to say yes."

"But do you even have any sort of plan beyond this?"

Hikaru half smiled, and it was the same weary, calculated expression from before. Kaoru's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open.

". . . _what_?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Shorter than I'm used to. Oh well, these past four weeks have been like a living hell to me. So this is what happens. A chapter that doesn't quite move the plot forward . . . well, I can't say it's _completely_ useless. (wink, wink) ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Well . . . just after I posted a fic and said that it probably meant I wasn't going to write another fic for the rest of summer . . . I immediately write another fic and post it. o_0 Maybe I should just promise to never write fanfiction again, and then suddenly my muse will attack my head with all sorts of new ideas again. Or maybe, now that I've figured out her game, it won't work anymore. Oh well.

Here's the fourth enstallment of Romantic Egoist. I feel ever justified in Haruhi's character, because at this point in the manga she was a little jumpy anyway. Hikaru, however, is posing a problem, because I'm constantly torn between writing IC Hikaru and Love Potion Hikaru. So sometimes I wonder if I'm doing him any justice at all. What do you think?

* * *

><p>Haruhi was lying on her stomach in bed, Chemistry notes sprawled out all around her, when the doorbell rang. She stopped nibbling on her pencil eraser long enough to listen for who it might be, but then she shrugged and returned to her homework problem. She figured Ranka could answer the door, whoever it was. After all, he had just recently woken up, and last time she saw him he was lounging by the TV with a huge cup of black coffee.<p>

"It will be fine," Haruhi muttered to herself as she wrote a few numbers down, but then the doorbell rang again.

Her rather hung-over father called out, "Haaaaaruhiiiiii, can you get the door? It's killing my head."

Haruhi huffed in annoyance. She always hated it when she was disturbed during tedious problems. However, she yelled back that she would and hurried over to the door. She opened it—

And slammed it back shut.

"AWWWW, come on, Haruhi!" Hikaru cried from the other side, hitting the doorbell button with a vengeance.

"Hikaru! It's Saturday! Can't you leave me alone on the weekends?" Haruhi shouted back over the din.

"HARUHI JUST MAKE THE DAMN NOISE STOP!" her father yelled.

Grimacing and muttering under her breath, Haruhi swung open the door again and leaned against the frame. Hikaru flashed her a "v for victory" sign and attempted to walk in, but Haruhi blocked his entrance with an extended leg.

"Hikaru, what are you doing here?" she sighed. "You and your brother visited me after school every day this week. Don't I get one day of rest?"

Mischievously, Hikaru brushed his fingers against Haruhi's thigh and said, "Not gonna lie. This position is a little sexy. But it's not a very effective as a barrier, don't you think?" Hikaru stepped right over her leg and glanced around. "Morning, Fujioka-san," he said cheerfully.

Ranka only moaned in response.

Haruhi nervously grabbed Hikaru's arm and held him back. "There was a big celebration at the bar last night, and he went a little overboard. I'd be careful. He's a little dangerous at the moment."

Hikaru smiled at her and cupped her face in his hands. "Aww, well look at you. Worrying over my well-being. But don't worry." He gave her a quick peck on the forehead. "I'm in pretty good standing with Fujioka-san."

Haruhi's face flushed red in an instant, and she shoved Hikaru out the door without a single warning, shutting the door behind her.

"Ow, a little rough today, are—" Hikaru joked, but Haruhi interrupted him in a whispered rush.

"What do you think you're doing? You can't just do whatever you like with my dad around. Especially not right now. Good standing or not, if you toy with him you're going to be blacklisted for an eternity!"

Despite a little pouting, Hikaru muttered an apology, but he couldn't resist adding, "I can't help it. You're cute when you're mad."

Which just made Haruhi even redder. She quickly turned her back on him and started looking all around. Hikaru chuckled in amusement. "What are you doing now?" he asked.

"Looking for Kaoru," Haruhi replied. "Where is he, by the way?"

Hikaru grinned widely and put up a finger to his lips. "I escaped. Don't tell."

Haruhi felt her stomach drop. After the incident with Tamaki, Kaoru had more or less acted as a chaperone between her and Hikaru. Whenever things got a little too uncomfortable, or whenever Haruhi flashed Kaoru 'the look,' Kaoru was always there to bail her out and take Hikaru home. That he wasn't there . . . Haruhi felt more than just a little uneasy.

"Escaped?" she stammered. "Does Kaoru even know you're here?"

"He'll probably figure it out eventually. It's not that hard."

"But Hikaru! Why didn't you just let him tag along like always?"

Hikaru bent down so that he was on Haruhi's level. Haruhi was having a hard time not looking him in the eyes. "Because, silly," he murmured softly, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Just because he's my twin doesn't mean he has to be around all of the time." He took her left hand in both of his, rubbing his thumbs against the back. "I _would_ like to be alone with you every now and then."

She shrank back at the contact. "A-a-alone?" Haruhi squeaked.

Hikaru nodded, still grinning. Although it was softer, had less of an edge. "That's why I'm here. It's Saturday anyway. Let's go on a date!" he suggested with enthusiasm.

Haruhi stared at him for a while before jerking her hand out of his grasp. Desperately wanting to control the heat in her cheeks, she averted her eyes. "Date? What do you mean, date? I told you 'maybe,' Hikaru. I never gave you a clear 'yes.'"

"Well, yeah," Hikaru replied, rolling his eyes. "But you don't technically have to be a couple to date. You can casually date people too, you know. To see if you like being around them or not."

Guilt started to rise in Haruhi's throat, choking her. "I don't think that's a good idea, Hika—"

"Of course it is! Just one date, Haruhi. Just one, and then I'll leave you alone, I swear. Well, for a little while, anyway," Hikaru amended.

Haruhi shook her head, laughing brokenly. "You don't understand," she said, slipping back inside.

"Haruhi!" Hikaru complained, but she had already shut the door in his face. On his wounded expression.

Haruhi leaned against the door in exhaustion, rubbing her face. _I don't think I can do this_, she thought to herself. _This feels so wrong_. She should have never bothered with the love potion. Then she could have hung out with Hikaru and Kaoru just like old times, with no regrets, no guilt. Things wouldn't be so unbearably awkward, and she wouldn't have twisted his emotions so terribly.

Just then, Ranka appeared, shuffling over to the fridge. Since he was too hung over to do his make-up and get ready, he was looking rougher than usual. "Who was that, Haruhi?"

"It was Hikaru," she sighed bitterly.

Ranka studied her frown as he opened up a carton of milk. He could immediately tell something was off. "Hikaru, huh?" he muttered. He gulped down a few swallows straight from the carton. "Seems to me like him and the other one have been coming over here rather frequently all of a sudden. More so than usual, anyway."

Haruhi just stared down at her feet in misery, refusing to say anything more. Ranka was a little taken aback. Usually his daughter didn't upset so easily, or if she did, she never showed it. That, and she also _hated_ it when Ranka drank from the carton, so the fact that she didn't scold him meant that something was seriously wrong.

"Haruhi," Ranka said sternly, closing the fridge and walking up to her.

"Yes?" she answered, obediently looking up at him.

Ranka sized her up for just a little longer before shoving the milk carton right in front of her nose. "We need more milk," he stated.

"_What_?" Haruhi said, unable to hide most of her exasperation. She tried to push the milk out of her face. "Dad, I just got milk two days ago."

But Ranka didn't budge. "We _need_ more milk," he repeated, as if this was the gravest matter in the universe.

"I don't underst—"

"There's also a few time sales going on today I heard," Ranka said, finally straightening up and returning to the fridge. "If you hurry and get there, you should still have twenty minutes or so before it ends."

Haruhi exhaled, knowing all too well what her father was trying to do. "Alright. I'll go to the supermarket. Just let me change out of my pajamas."

While she rushed back to her room, Ranka drowned his coffee in milk, making a face. "Never liked it straight, anyhow," he said to himself. He took a few sips from his mug, and then peeked out the window. "I knew he was still there," he muttered when he caught sight of the dark head of hair. He returned to his couch. "Meh, I still prefer the one with glasses, but I guess it's only natural for my daughter and I to have different tastes."

Once ready, Haruhi stomped into her tennis shoes without untying them and walked out the door. She froze when she realized Hikaru was still there. He was sitting on the railing and plucking the petals off of a rather large, yellow dandelion. After clearing her throat to announce her present, Hikaru jumped and scrambled off the railing.

"You came back," he exclaimed, and then, suddenly remembering the half-plucked dandelion, he thrust it out to her. "For you."

Haruhi chuckled and waved the flower away. "Hikaru, it's just a weed."

"Just because it's so common doesn't mean it's not beautiful," Hikaru said, which almost sounded romantic, except for the fact that he rushed through the words so fast it was only a blurred slur, and the flower was half-mutilated anyway.

"I'm fine, Hikaru. Trust me. Where did you get that line from anyway?"

Hikaru sulked while he admitted, "Kaoru."

"Knew it."

A little sheepishly, Hikaru flung the remains out over the balcony. He eyed her outfit, curious but wary. A plain, simple blue one piece with denim capris underneath. There was a thin, sparkly hairclip holding back some of her bangs, keeping her face clear and her eyes unhidden. "What's with the getup?" he asked.

Inhaling to summon all of her strength and willpower, Haruhi smoothed out the front of her dress and declared, "We're going on a date."

* * *

><p>"Haaaaaruhiiiii," Hikaru groaned.<p>

"Not now, Hikaru," Haruhi said without looking up. She crossed another item off the list.

"But Haaaaaruhiiiiii!"

A vein throbbed in her temple, and she turned on her heel to face him. "What?" she snapped.

Hikaru leaned heavily against the bar of the shopping cart. "You know, when someone says 'date,' this isn't exactly the first place people have in mind."

"You weren't complaining when I first agreed," Haruhi reminded, heading for the produce section.

"Well, yeah. But that was when I thought it was just going to be the two of us, actually going somewhere."

"We _are_ somewhere."

"Haruhi, going to the grocery store isn't a date. It's an _errand_. I may not be well-educated in the ways of commoners, but I'm still pretty sure that rule still applies."

"The overall purpose of a date still gets done though, doesn't it? You still get to hang out with me. So I see no problem," Haruhi deadpanned as she bagged up some fruits and vegetables.

"You're not exactly the romantic type, are you, Haruhi?" Hikaru sighed.

Haruhi bristled, even though she wasn't exactly sure that was meant as an insult. "You don't know that," she said defensively. "I could like romance at times . . . I just value practicality more, is all."

"Uh huh," Hikaru replied, unconvinced.

Trying to ignore him, Haruhi busied herself with her list again, even though it was pathetically short. She crossed things out and eyed what was left. "Hmmm," she mumbled. "Now all I need to get is milk—WAH!"

Hikaru had come up behind her all of a sudden and tripped her. Haruhi found herself falling into his arms, and he heaved her, bridal style and all, into the shopping cart. "Hikaru! Wh-what are you doing?" she spluttered in surprise.

Hikaru grinned and assumed his position at the back. "Making this date worth it."

"Wha—AHHHHH!" Haruhi shouted as Hikaru pushed the cart forward at a run. He skillfully dodged displays and weaved through other customers without a care in the world, laughing as Haruhi spit out profanities.

"Hold on tight!" he exclaimed at one point.

"Why? What are you—?"

Hikaru gave one last shove, and then Haruhi was rolling all by herself, with no one to steer. The dairy aisle was approaching a little too fast for comfort. "HIKARUUUUU!" Haruhi shouted, bracing herself.

But Hikaru appeared at just the right time, grabbing the front end of the car and making it spin away from danger. But he also kept making it spin just for the hell of it. "HIKARU!" Haruhi shouted again, but this time she was laughing and squealing with pleasure.

"You can't stop me now!" Hikaru challenged, laughing maniacally.

"Hikaru, you're going to get us kicked out!" Haruhi said, but with none of her usual scorn. "Oh, stop spinning me already. I'm gonna puke!"

Hikaru finally obeyed, but judging by how heavily he was panting, Haruhi figured he was doing it more out of fatigue than anything she had said. He propped his elbows up on the front end of the cart while he caught his breath. Haruhi rolled her eyes at him and reached over to grab another carton of milk. "Honestly, Hikaru, you can be such a child at times."

"You can't lie to my face and tell me you didn't enjoy it too," he said slyly.

Haruhi refused to comment on that end, but once she had two jugs of milk safely secured in her lap, she clapped her hands and rubbed them together. "Alright, mister. Take me away. Although I would prefer it if you didn't kill any grandmas on our way to the cash register."

She was joking. He didn't laugh. The strangeness of this made Haruhi's head snap up and look Hikaru in the eye. He was just staring down at her with a vague smile on his lips, his chin in his hands.

"Hikaru?"

"Can I kiss you?" he said out of the blue.

Haruhi's mouth dropped open. "Wh-wh-what's with that all of a sudden?" she stammered.

Hikaru winked at her. "Well, you seemed to be in a good mood at the moment. Now seemed as good of a time as any to ask."

"This isn't even a real date," Haruhi mumbled, fidgeting. "Not to mention there's a lot of people here. You can't just kiss in public!"

Hikaru half-smiled and said, as he walked back to push the shopping cart again, "Somehow, I feel as though that's more of an excuse than an actual answer to my question."

And he was right. It was an excuse. But Haruhi couldn't give him any more than that.

Hikaru slowly rolled Haruhi to the front. Feeling awkward but unwilling to break the silence, Haruhi simply tapped her fingers against the milk cartons. There he goes again. They felt like so close to normal again. Haruhi was actually enjoying herself. But then the love potion reared up its ugly head and screwed with what Haruhi very much wanted to be "normal."

After paying, they headed towards a cart return. "Haruhi?" Hikaru asked, but she didn't respond. He tried a few experimental pushes, but even that didn't get a rise out of her.

"Can I get out of here already?" Haruhi asked in a small voice.

Hikaru flashed her a look that suggested he didn't really know what to do with her. But he relented, came over to the side to help Haruhi out. She stumbled a little when she landed, crashed into Hikaru's chest. Hikaru almost used this as an opportunity to joke and encage her in a tight hug, but she immediately jolted away, as if she had been burned by his touch. Hikaru scratched his head, puzzled by the reaction.

"Can you help me with these groceries, Hikaru?" Haruhi asked without looking at him. She made a grab for one of the bags, but Hikaru brushed her hand away.

"We have a lot of groceries, and I'm kind of tired anyway. I'll just call one of my drivers to pick me up."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"Oh no, it's no problem. I already texted him and gave him a heads up that we were here."

Hikaru fished out his phone and dialed a number. When someone answered, he walked a little ways away to give instructions. Haruhi sighed, desperately hoping he wasn't going to get an excessive limo to pick them up. The last thing she needed was a grand entrance at her apartment complex.

"Rich bastard," she muttered, but then a hint of yellow caught her eye. It was a small dandelion, growing between the cracks in the concrete. Without quite knowing why, Haruhi picked the hardy week from the ground and held it up to her face.

"He loves me," she mumbled, plucking a petal mechanically. "He loves me not. He loves me . . ."

And when she got to the final petal, Haruhi hesitated before a dismal "not" unstuck itself from her throat. The girl stared forlornly at the naked weed, wondering why she had bothered at all.

"Hmm, looks like that was a stupid flower. You might want to try again."

"Huh?" Haruhi replied, glancing over at Hikaru just as he was hanging up. He shrugged and scanned the ground.

"That dandelion was wrong. You'll have to find another one until it gives you the correct answer," he stated, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Ah, here's another one." He pulled up another flower and held it out to Haruhi just as we had done that morning. Haruhi could detect the faintest blush coloring his cheeks.

"Hikaru?" Haruhi said, blinking in surprise as she took the dandelion from him. "Let me guess. You learned that from Kaoru too?"

Hikaru snorted. "Can't I have my own original romantic moments? Like you said before, you don't necessarily know that I can't like romance."

"True," Haruhi replied with a faraway smile. She twirled the dandelion around in her fingers. "I guess we both just don't seem like the romantic type. We're both a little too awkward at the mushy stuff."

"Hmph, speak for yourself," Hikaru huffed, but he wasn't being serious. The mood between them began to lighten, and as they talked back and forth about aimless stuff, Haruhi found herself relaxing again. Actually, when the limo (urgh) pulled up five minutes later and Kaoru was waiting for them inside, Haruhi found that she was actually a little disappointed that the "date" ended so soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Club activities had ended for the day, but as Haruhi stooped down to collect all of the leftover tea cups, she saw the doors opening again. "I'm sorry, madam, but club activities are closed for the—"

"Reiko-chan!" Hunny cried in excitement, skipping over.

A little shyly, Reiko emerged from behind the door and slipped off her dark, scary cloak. "My club activities are also finished, so I thought I would come for a visit."

"Did you come here to eat cake and sweets with me?" Hunny asked, nearly squirming in his excitement.

Reiko's frown softened, not quite into a smile, but a blanker than usual expression, which Haruhi figured was acceptable enough. "Yes, if I'm not intruding."

"Not at all! Yay! I'll go get us some snacks right away! Hold Usa-chan for a moment. He's excited to see you too."

Hunny scampered off to the kitchen, humming a cute tune. Reiko watched him go before approaching Haruhi. "I also came over to check on the situation here," she whispered behind her hand.

Haruhi blinked, taken aback. "Thank you."

Her eyes flashing a little, Reiko slid her a thumbs up, which was just about as creepy as Kyouya declaring that he had just adopted a couple of abandoned kittens that were left in the rain. Haruhi winced a little, but smiled gratefully all the same.

"Reiko-chan, come here, come here!" Hunny called from the kitchen. "Come choose what you want."

"Coming," Reiko called back calmly before excusing herself. Once she was gone, Haruhi picked up the last of the cups and straightened, but when she turned to head for the sink, her tray bumped right into Hikaru, who she hadn't realized was standing right there.

"Ah!" Haruhi exclaimed when all the cups precariously balanced on the tray began to sway and tremble. Hikaru's hands shot out to steady the tray, and he smiled in relief when there was no damage done.

"Alright there, clumsy?" he teased.

"You were the one in my way," Haruhi said hotly.

"I have an idea," he said, ignoring her.

"And I'm sure I don't want to hear it." The girl tried to walk around Hikaru, but he was still holding onto the tray, his hands on top of Haruhi's. He just gazed at Haruhi for a while, not understanding her predicament.

Blushing a little, Haruhi cleared her throat. "Hikaru."

"Hmm?"

"Could you let go of my hands? I need to go wash these."

"Oh, uh . . . sorry." Hikaru released her, and Haruhi quickly strode past him, keeping her head down. Unfortunately, Hikaru trailed along right behind her.

"Hikaru," Haruhi exhaled as they entered the kitchen. "Don't you and Kaoru have cleaning duty today? Why don't you help him before Kyouya jumps down your throat?"

Usually there was a maid that did periodic cleaning of all the rooms, but this morning Kaoru and Hikaru attempted to pull a prank on Tamaki. It backfired, tremendously, and in the end all that had been achieved was a very irate Kyouya soaked in tea. As a result, the twins had been punished with cleaning duty for one week . . . and since they were pampered brats, it also meant that Haruhi was going to be stuck refixing anything they had "cleaned." Why was Haruhi being punished with them?

"You three are the happy-go-lucky freshman trio," Kyouya had stated, adjusting his glasses. "I'm sure you could have done something to control them. Plus, comply with this task and I'll deduct 10,000 yen from your debt."

_Jeez, he knows he can get me to do anything if it involves my debt_, Haruhi thought, sighing to herself ruefully.

"Kyouya can wait," Hikaru said a little too fast, making Haruhi snort as she set the tray next to the sink and turned on the hot water. She was all too aware of Reiko scrutinizing them from the corner as she listened to Hunny list off dessert options. Far from helping, it only made Haruhi more nervous. She felt sweat begin to accumulate underneath her arms.

"Besides, we're almost out of the cleaner stuff anyway. Kaoru left to go fetch some more. Here, let me help you with that," Hikaru offered when Haruhi was distracted.

"What? Ah, no, stop!" Haruhi exclaimed when he nearly dropped a couple of cups. "I can take care of it. It's fine. Really. You just go back out there and help your brother clean up, before you break something and add it to _my _debt."

"Don't be ridiculous," Hikaru said, waving her off. But when he grabbed a cup, he stared at a moment before dipping it in and out the water. "So . . . what? Do you clean it just like this?"

Haruhi smacked her forehead. "Damn rich bastard," she swore under her breath. "No, Hikaru. Look, you need soap first. Oh . . . here," she handed him a towel without looking at him. "If you really have to help, you can dry."

"Thank _you_!" As Hikaru took the towel from Haruhi, he snuck in a quick kiss on the cheek, startling Haruhi.

"_Hikaru!_"

"What? It's only a little peck, Haruhi," Hikaru said, grinning mischievously. "I'm pretty sure I've done much worse to you before in the Host Club."

"Yeah, but that was before—" Haruhi broke off, realizing that Hunny had stopped talking. Was he watching them too? Devoting all of her attention to the tea cups, she scrubbed away at them with a passion.

"So . . . what was your idea again?" Haruhi said after a while, when they had washed half of the cups.

Obviously pleased that she was talking to him again, he explained, "Kaoru and I want you to come over to our place today—"

"No."

"Aww, come on. You barely let me finish."

"Because my answer will still be no."

"Haaaaaruhiiiii. I kept my promise. I haven't been visiting your apartment after school every day anymore. So just come hang out with us."

"No."

"But I _miss_ you!"

"Hikaru, we see each other every single day with school and club stuff anyway. Besides, we have that Chemistry test, and—"

"But that's why you should come over. We were going to study . . . Oi, oi, don't give me that look of utter disbelief," Hikaru added when he saw Haruhi's blatant skepticism.

"I don't know, Hikaru," Haruhi sighed.

"Come on! I'm actually really good at Chemistry. You know that! So I could help you."

"Well, yeah . . ." Haruhi trailed off, grudgingly remembering when Hikaru had merely glanced at her homework and called her out on, what he had called, a "fairly obvious and stupid mistake." She thought he had been kidding, but it turned out he was actually one of the few kids in the class to get the answer correct. "I really don't think I could concentrate on studying with you two around though."

"Oh ho!" Hikaru set aside the cup he was drying and scooped up Haruhi's face in both of his hands. Using his best host voice, he asked, "Don't tell me . . . do you find being near me . . . _distracting?_"

Haruhi swallowed, but just then Hunny interrupted with a loud, "Hey, hey!" Haruhi yelped and jerked herself out of Hikaru's grasp, turning red as she returned to the dishes.

"What is it, Hunny-sempai?" Hikaru asked, surprisingly calm as he scratched the back of his neck.

Hunny offered his large plate of assorted sweets. "Do you two want to eat with Reiko-chan and me?"

"Uh . . . no thanks. We'll pass."

Hunny glanced between Hikaru and Haruhi, his lips pursed in concentration. "Does this mean you two are a couple now?"

"No," Haruhi answered immediately, while at the same time Hikaru puffed his chest in pride and blurted out, "We already went on our first date!"

"_Hikaru_!" Haruhi hissed in alarm, covering his mouth with his hand. She didn't realize that her hand was still covered in suds, and Hikaru recoiled back, spitting out the soapy taste. "Ah! Sorry, Hikaru! Here, here's a cup of water."

Hunny walked away, watching them with a thoughtful air, but Reiko held back to whisper in Haruhi's ear, "Yaoi . . . I think I'm beginning to like it."

Which only made Haruhi blush right up to her roots, and she groaned helplessly.

* * *

><p>"Haru-chan, Haru-chan! Where are you going?" Hunny asked as Haruhi slipped past their table.<p>

Haruhi put a finger to her lips and shushed him. "I'm trying to escape before Hikaru notices." Kyouya had finally found Hikaru and told (blackmailed) him into doing his chores again after revealing a perfectly full bottle of cleaner, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to mess with her again while on duty. Also, maybe Haruhi could get out of cleaning after the twins if she left before Kyouya noticed.

Reiko sipped her tea and remarked, "I thought you two had a very obvious study date later today though."

"Not a date," Haruhi said in a rush. She readjusted her backpack and added, "I don't do well studying in a group anyway, though I bet studying is the last thing on the twins' minds anyway."

"Don't you want to eat some cake with us first before you leave?" Hunny asked.

"No. I have to make my escape quick."

Reiko drained the last of her tea and dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. "In that case, I'll walk out with Haruhi," she said, standing up. "It is getting a little late."

"Ehhhh?" Hunny whined. "Not you too."

"I've had a fair enough time, but I really do need to go," Reiko explained. She slipped him the rest of her unfinished cake, which made his eyes sparkle. "I'll return some other time."

"Bye bye then! Stay safe!" Hunny said through a mouthful of cake, already over her leaving.

Once they were out in the foyer, Reiko turned to Haruhi. "It seems like you're doing a splendid job of handling this."

"I'm not sure we have the same definition of 'splendid'," Haruhi sighed in exhaustion, slumping over.

"Have you been using him well?"

"E-excuse me? Using him?" Haruhi echoed.

Reiko placed a hand on Haruhi's shoulder, looking a little impatient. "We've talked about this before. This is a perfect opportunity to get close to Hikaru-san and use it to make Tamaki-sempai jealous. To see if Tamaki-sempai really likes you."

A little flustered, Haruhi nudged her hand off her shoulder. "And I told you already, I like Hikaru too much to use him like that."

"Like?" Reiko asked slyly. "Interesting choice of words."

"I mean, he's one of my best friends. I could never turn on him like that." Haruhi clapped her palms together and bowed slightly. "Speaking of which, are you sure there really is no antidote? No cure at all? Surely there's something that can be done!" she insisted.

"There cannot," Reiko explained gravely.

"Well at the very least, there must be something that will make the effects wear off faster. Surely there is."

"I'm sorry, Fujioka, but you can't turn around a Love Potion, especially one as potent as that. You only have maybe a few more weeks left. Is it really too impossible to go along with it until then?"

"But it makes me feel so awful!" Haruhi exclaimed. "I feel terrible every time I look at Hikaru now. He keeps asking stuff from me, and I turn him down because I know he doesn't really mean it, but then I see the hurt on his face and it looks so real that I—"

"If it bothers you so much, then why don't you just date him after all?" Reiko suggested.

"Wha . . . were you even listening?" Haruhi groaned, but Reiko interrupted her.

"Date him now so you don't hurt his feelings, but then dump him when the magic starts to wear off. That way, after you've broken up with him, he won't feel so bad because he'll be getting over you. And also it will avoid complications, like continuing to date him when he realizes he doesn't like you after all."

"That _still _feels like I'm manipulating him too much," Haruhi admitted.

"Well, the way I see it, you can either date him, reject him, or keep groaning and complaining about how guilty you feel," Reiko said, surprisingly sharp. "Regardless of which you choose, that love potion's not going to wear off any faster."

"I know, but—"

"Haruhi?"

The girl spun around in shock. Kaoru was standing there, his arms filled with new cleaner supplies. His eyes were wide and wild. "What the—?"

Haruhi's heart hammered in her chest. "Kaoru, it's not what it—"

"I take it this is my time to make an exit," Reiko said, backing away slowly before disappearing around a corner. Haruhi swore under her breath at her cowardice.

"Haruhi," Kaoru said slowly, and his tone of voice made Haruhi wince before she turned to face him.

"What exactly did she mean by a 'love potion'?"


End file.
